Gate.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. W. 0. HOOKER.

GATE.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1905.

Witnesses: g

flaw? Attorneys.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION.forming part of Letters Fatent No. 792,774, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed April 5,1905. Serial No. 253,971.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that IQWILLIAW CHAUNGEY HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, rcsiding at Abingdon, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Gate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates, and particularly to a novel form of mechanism for operating the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel form of operating means by which a heavy gate may be readily opened from either side of an entrance and by a person seated in a vehicle or on horseback, and to construct and brace the gate in such a manner as to prevent sagging in use.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a gate-operating mechanism and in the construction of a gate, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a gate constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a view in plan, on an enlarged scale, showing the gate opening and closing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the latch-operating members.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 2, and 3 designate three uprights, which are sunk in the ground a suitable distance apart and serve to support a horizon tall y-disposed shaft 1, carrying at each end a double lever 5, by which the shaft may be rotated, and through interposed mechanism connecting with the gate to open and close the same.

Secured to one side of the upright 2 is a casting housing a sheave 6, the same being mounted for rotation upon a shaft or pin 7, secured in the upper and lower members of the casting. Projecting from one side of the sheave is a loop or staple 8, to which is secured the terminals of a chain 9, the intermediate portion being reversely wound upon the shaft 4 and passed through a transverse orifice therein.

Secured in any suitable manner to the sheave is one end of a lever 11, the other end of which is provided with an orifice to receive one end of a link or wire 12, the other end of which engages an eye 13, formed in an angular extension 14: of a rod 15, which is held for rotary movement by keepers 16 and 17 secured to an upright 18 carried by the gate. The lower end of the rod is formed into or carries a cross-bar 19, which extends at right angles to the rod and has its terminals formed into eyes 20, that are engaged by one end of each of a pair of links 21, the other ends of which are formed into eyes 22 to engage a loop 23, formed on one end of a latch-operating rod 241, the other end of which is formed with an eye 25 to interlock with aterminal loop on the latch 26. The latch is made of spring metal and is secured to the outer side of the vertical frame-bar 27 of the gate and is designed to engage with a suitable keeper carried by a post 28, arranged adjacent to the free end of the gate.

The coaction between the latch and the post 28 holds the gate closed or across the road, and to hold it open the latch interlocks with a suitable keeper carried by a post 29, as is usual in constructions of this kind.

The gate to which reference has been made comprises, in addition to the frame-bar 27, two additional frame-bars 30 and 31. The framebars 27, 30, and 31 have secured to them in any preferred manner any desired number of longitudinal metallic tierods 32, that subserve the function of bracing the gate longitudinally, and in order to prevent the gate from sagging pairs of diagonal brace-beams 33 and 34: and longitudinal brace-beams 35 are employed, the latter being disposed at the top of the gate. The frame-bar 27 is composed of two members, between which the ends of the brace-beams 33, 3 1, and 35 are secured, the other ends of the like parts being secured on opposite sides of the framebar 31 and the intermediate portions of the brace-bars being secured on opposite sides of the framebar 30. By this arrangement it will be seen that the gate is braced against yielding in every direction, and, further, by the construction employed an exceedingly light and durable structure is produced. The framebar 31 has combined with it suitable hinge members that engage keepers or staples (not shown) carried by a supporting-post 36.

In the operation of the device when one of the levers is turned downward a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 4, and this lat ter, through the medium of the chain 9, imparts a rotary movement to the sheave, and the latter, through the link 12 and interposed mechanism coacting therewith and with the latch, operates to retract the latch and throw it out of engagement with its keeper, the further turning of the shaft causing the lever 11 to swing the gate open or closed, as the case may be.

It will be noted that the lever 11 is of considerable length, so that by the .output of small power upon either of the levers 5 a large leverage is secured at the lever, thus to effect the operating of the gate. A further feature of importance in the construction of this gate is that all flexible connections between the latch-operating mechanism and the shaft are dispensed with, so that the operation of the parts is positive and danger of breakage is reduced to a minimum. These features are secured by the employment of the lever 11 and non-flexible link 12, the latter element taking the place of a chain or rope such as is commonly employed in an apparatus of this character. 4

In order to hold the shaft against longitudinal movement, it is provided with two stops 37 and 38, disposed on opposite sides of the vertical member of the casting 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination with a gate, of a rotatable shaft, a lever carrying a sheave, a flexible element secured to the sheave and connected with the shaft, and a non-flexible element connecting the lever and the gate.

2. In a gate, the combination with a latch and means for actuating the same, of a rotatable shaft, a lever carrying a sheave, a flexible element secured to the sheave and connected with the shaft, and a non-flexible element connecting the lever and latch actuating mechanism.

3. In a gate, the combination with a latch and a rotatable rod operatively connected therewith, of a rotatable shaft, a lever carrying a sheave, a flexible element secured to the sheave and connected with the shaft, and a non-flexible element connecting the lever and the rotatable rod.

4. The combination with a gate provided with a latch and a rotatable rod operatively connected therewith, of a casting supported adjacent to the gate, a shaft passing through the casting, a combined sheave and lever supported by the casting, a flexible member reversely wound upon the shaft and having its terminals secured to the sheave, and a connection between the sheave-lever and the rotatable rod.

5. The combination with a gate provided with a latch, of a vertically-disposed rotatable rod supported by the gate and carrying at its lower end a cross-bar, connections between the latch and the terminals of the crossbar, a combined sheave and lover supported adjacent to the gate, a flexible member reversely wound upon the shaft and having its terminals connected with the sheave, and a connection between the sheave-lever and the flexible connection between the lever and the rotatable rod.

7. The combination with a gate, of a combined sheave and lever supported adjacent thereto, a rotatable shaft operatively connected with the sheave, and a connection between the lever and the gate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAJII CHAUNCEY HOOKER.

W'itnesses:

JOHN M. QALLIsoN, WV. J. MEL'roN. 

